This Cuckoo Bee (Nomada sp, Ruficornis Group) is a very interesting subject. As you can see they have a very showy outward appearance, but come from a very basic lineage, thus why they have such a wasp-like appearance. While it is difficult to identify to species these Cuckoo Bees are fascinating to observe and around this time of year. They don’t collect pollen, but rather parasitize other bees, by laying their eggs in Mining Bee nests. Photographed by RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser for the Meet Your Neighbours global biodiversity project in Connecticut for the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History.
